


Click Click Click

by BlackPencilKitten



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 22:56:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11701608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackPencilKitten/pseuds/BlackPencilKitten
Summary: Sometimes you have to do research and adapt to things you aren't used to. Makoto had to learn this the-well not hard way, she just had to learn.





	Click Click Click

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ryukita](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryukita/gifts).



> I got a flash idea for this and I should write it down because it's Short but Simple and Perfect.  
> Akechi Goro fidgets OK.  
> WELCOME BACK FROM CAMP RYUKITA!  
> Kyrooti made fanart of this that you can find here: http://ruisturmli.deviantart.com/art/Fidgeting-Goro-697835400?ga_submit_new=10%3A1502313147

**Click**

Numbers and letters formed equations and sentences in front of him, answers and circles written in pen with few, if any, scratched out mistakes. His schoolbag was on his lap for easy access, a pencil bag open and sitting beside his schoolwork, a few pencils spilling out from his years of collecting them from the floor of Kosei. Makoto was seated on the opposite side of the booth, her section of supplies and paperwork slightly more organized than his own. It took up less space, which Goro was grateful for, he needed as much room as possible for his elbows and homework to be splayed out for maximum comfortability and practicality.

The words in front of him were starting to become fuzzy, thoughts of rowing around Inokashira Park or heading over to Dome Town quickly filling his head. Anything but this dreaded homework. Though if he didn't finish it now, he'd finish it _never_ , and he didn't need people questioning a sudden grade drop. Not to mention finals coming up in only a week or so, the more work he does, the better he'll be at them.

He had to occupy himself and focus on the task at hand.

**Click**

**Click**

**Click**

**Click**

Makoto looked up from her own work, sending a questioning look at Goro. He failed to notice, as he was staring at a math problem and mentally solving it, clicking his pen all the while.

**Click**

**Click**

**Click**

Her finger twitched, causing a letter she was writing to become squiggly. Fighting back an annoyed sigh, she erased it and began anew, continuing on her English homework.

**Click**

**Click**

**Click**

**Click**

**Click**

**Click**

"Akechi!"

Goro looked up from his work, a confused expression on his face. Makoto didn't mean to yell, but the clicking was too distracting for her to continue her work.

"Can you please stop that bothersome clicking?"

A faked smile made its way to his face, something that happened unconsciously after most events. Goro nodded, though his eyes turned downcast at being called out.

"Of course, my apologies."

Without the clicking to occupy his mind, he was quickly drifting back to Daydream land. He realized that he's been staring at the same question for over 5 minutes, and switches his pen out for a pencil, writing down the answer quickly. He had quite a few questions left to complete, and he holds back a groan, maneuvering his pencil through his fingers.

**Tap**

The eraser end hits the table, and it does so twice more before he stops. Another method to occupy his hands and get rid of boredom!

**Tap**

**Tap**

**Tap**

Makoto glared at him, and he forces himself to stop. If she could focus without 'distractions', then he'd have to. As he solved another question, though, he realized that without the tapping, he had to read the same sentence four times before he understood a word of it. He needed to focus, and he would no matter what he had to do.

**Tap**

**Tap**

**Tap**

**Tap**

**Tap**

**Tap**

"Akechi, would you please stop your childish tapping?!" This time, Makoto _did_ mean to yell, because if she heard another tap or click she was going to explode! How could anyone work with this noise? She just couldn't understand it.

This time, he doesn't even apologize, glaring back at her and stopping his tapping. Dammit, he couldn't focus without some stimulation, but all that stimulation created noise that Makoto couldn't focus with! Talk about a lose/lose situation. He wets his lips impatiently as he tries to solve the next problem, before tapping his pencil against his mouth. It was quieter and still stimulating, though a tad bit painful. An idea hits him, and he starts gnawing on the eraser of his pencil, eyes widening slightly at the feeling. The eraser was disgusting, but this provided the perfect, somewhat-quiet stimulation! With a small smile he gets back to work, gnawing on the eraser when he needed to.

A few moments of relative silence goes by, and Makoto smiles, finishing a page of homework and moving on to the next one. After more time had passed, however, she became suspicious and looked up, eyebrows furrowing in disgust at what Goro was doing. _Gnawing on a pencil,_ _what was he, a dog?_

"Akechi Goro, stop that immediately! That is highly unprofessional and quite disgusting!"

Goro shoved his pencil back into it's bag, zipping it up and shoving it into his schoolbag, putting his homework back into folder. That was enough, he's not going to take this slander anymore! Can't a guy fidget without being **judged** for once in his life?

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"I'm done with my homework."

"You still have a few questions to answer on your Algebra, and you haven't even started your Japanese!" Makoto lets out a huff, watching him pack with a glare. "Why are you so angry all of a sudden?"

"I don't know, maybe because the only thing you've done for the past 15 minutes is scold me for anything I do!"

"You were distracting me with your clicking and tapping and I politely asked you to stop, including _gnawing on your pencil._ I'd expect one of the top ten in your school would have better habits and would respect his teammates more!" A few of the customers in the diner were starting to stare at them, and Makoto let out a sigh. "Quiet down will you? You're attracting attention."

"You're the one that's started everything! And also, _Ms. Student Council President_ , I'd expect someone of your status would be more accepting to those with different needs!" After he finished shoving his stuff back into his schoolbag, Goro slung it over his shoulder and stood up quickly, marching out of the diner while ignoring anyone that watched him leave. Their gaze turned to Makoto, and she let out a sigh before packing her own stuff up to leave. There's no way she'd be able to focus with eyes on her, might as well head back to her house. Besides, she had something she wanted to ask her sister about.

~

The news droned on from afar, Makoto and Sae seated across from each other as they ate their dinner. As usual, it was somewhat quiet, the two still trying to reconcile after Sae had called Makoto useless. The silence was becoming bothersome, and it was time to take action.

"Sae, can I ask you something about Akechi?"

Sae looked up from her food, finishing her bite with a confused look. "Yes, what do you need to know?"

Makoto carefully thought over her phrasing. "...Do you think he has anxiety of some sort? He was acting a bit....different, around me when we were doing our homework together at the Shibuya Diner."

"As far as I know of, no. You say he was acting 'different' while you two were completing homework?" Sae set her chopsticks down, moving her plate aside to clasp her hands together and set them on the table, leaning forward slightly.

"Yes."

"Ah, I think I know what you mean. He gets bored easily during mundane tasks, so he tries to find a way to make himself, you know, not bored. It helps him focus."

"Making noise helps him focus? I'm afraid I don't understand, wouldn't that be distracting? It was to me, he kept tapping his pencil and clicking his pen."

"That's his way of fidgeting, which is a sign of either nervousness or impatience, in this case it's impatience. Studies show that if someone fidgets while they're doing something boring, they tend to focus better, due to the side of them that's being bored having something to do. In some cases, it's mindless doodles, in others it's drumming their fingers on a table or tapping their foot. For him, it seems to be clicking his pen or tapping his pencil. I've also seen him drum his finger against his thigh when he was working." Sae sits back up, pulling her plate back over and picking her chopsticks up.

"So that's what it is....I feel bad now. I thought he was just being annoying or childish and I...I think I made him mad by telling him to stop." Makoto stared downcast at her food, stirring it around with her chopsticks.

"Well, you've made a mistake, the choice to correct it should be obvious then." Sae stated plainly, taking another bite of her food.

"Of course it is, but....ugh, it really annoyed me, I couldn't concentrate at all! And he started chewing on his pencil, that's disgusting! If you're a top ten student, you should act like one!"

"If you're a student council president, you should act like one. The council is there to listen to the students' ideas on how to improve the school, so why shouldn't you let him fidget? If fidgeting helps him, it helps others, so why stop that? Especially considering the fact that he's at a completely different school, why should you try and control him?"

Makoto doesn't speak, taking in her sister's words. After a long moment of consideration, she lets out a sigh and nods. "You're right sis. Why should I try and stop something that helps him, that affects someone outside my area of control?"

She finished up her food rather quickly, grabbing and setting her dishes in the sink nearby.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to go make this up to him."

~

 **M.N:** Spearmint or peppermint?

 **A.G:** What?

 **M.N:** Spearmint or peppermint.

 **A.G:** Spearmint, peppermint hurts my mouth.

 **A.G:** Why are you asking...?

 **M.N:** You'll see.

 **A.G:** I'm positively terrified now.

~

Goro cross his arms, putting one leg over the other and glaring at Makoto, who kept his gaze without flinching. They were back at the diner, which was in its usual state of busyness, having customers but still having empty seats open for future ones. Two cups of coffee sat a few inches away from each other, steam rising from them as they waited to be picked up and drank. Someone had to move, though, or else they'd be at a standstill for far longer than they should.

"What business do you have with me, Nijima, you're taking my precious time."

"I'd like to apologize for being rude to you yesterday." Makoto grabbed three small, wrapped boxes from her purse and placed them on the table. Goro eyed them suspiciously.

"You're bribing me for my forgiveness."

"No. I've learned about your potential reasons for doing what you did yesterday, and I'm sorry that I chastised you over it. I did some research and I got you a few things that might help. I'm not trying to fix you-" She added immediately after Goro narrowed his eyes. "I'm just trying to help you. You don't need to be fixed in any way."

"Hmf, we'll see about that." Goro picks up one of the presents, turning it around in his hand and giving Makoto a suspicious look.

"Open it."

With a sigh he opens the box, eyebrows raising as he picked up the object inside. It was a small cube with different stimulators on each side. A switch, buttons, gears and a marble, a joystick, a groove, and a rotating bump around a main surface. He plays around with it for a bit, feeling and testing out each stim. He eventually decided on having the gears and marble against his palm, his thumb pressing down on the buttons. Two were silent, and he instantly knew this was basically a compromise on both of their sides. He gets to fidget, she gets her silence.

"Some say it's a 'win/win' situation."

The next box contained a necklace with a star on it, and after some prompting from Makoto, he put it on.

"It's for chewing on."

He takes the star in his mouth, spending a few moments watching the other customers as he chewed on it. It...it felt natural, it felt _normal_ , he could actually focus on what they were doing instead of mindlessly looking around. That woman ordered Nostalgic Steak, the man got Frui-Tea, the couple at the farthest booth got regular Hot Coffee. Just by occupying himself again, he could focus and find tiny details around him.

"....Thank you."

The last box had two pale-green objects in them, one cylindrical,another bumpy.

"For your pencils. They're safe to chew on and have a bit of flavor too."

One gnaw proved Makoto right, this tasted like-spearmint! So that's why she asked him which mint he preferred. He quickly put the gifts back in their boxes, excluding the necklaces, and put the boxes in his pockets.

"I could've worded my earlier apology better. I was being inconsiderate to your feelings and acting selfish when I told you to stop your fidgeting. I could've calmly asked if there was a compromise for both of us, but instead I used sheer anger to get my way. I'm sorry for that, and I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again--if it does, I need to work on improving myself more and accepting others."

Goro nodded slowly as he took in Makoto's words, chewing on his necklace thoughtfully. After a few seconds, he smiled genuinely, looking her in the eye.

"Apology accepted, Makoto Nijima, **Responsible** , **Adaptable** Student Council president."

 


End file.
